A big stroke to force the electric vehicles shift and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in Quebec
It was during a press conference last November that the Minister of the Environment, Mr. Benoit Charrette, announced that the sale of new gasoline vehicles would end in 2035 in Quebec. This measure is part of the Plan for a greener economy and targets vehicles for personal use, excluding commercial type vehicles.
The Legault government aims to have one and a half million electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles on the roads of Quebec within 10 years, which would represent nearly 30% of the province's vehicle fleet. He has revised the target upwards which was initially set at 1 million for the same period.
Quebec is relying heavily on the electrification of transportation to achieve its objective of reducing GHG emissions in our province by 37.5% by 2030 compared to the 1990 level. To do this, it intends to "force" the automobile manufacturers to supply the market with electric vehicles and eliminating the several months delays which are currently an irritant for consumers. Quebec also intends to maintain its assistance program for the purchase of an electric vehicle: Roulez vert with its $ 8,000 grant. The Roulez vert program is one of the most costly measures of the Legault government's green plan, but it remains essential in order to make the electric vehicle an advantageous choice, while its purchase cost is higher than a gasoline car. The government also intends to accelerate the deployment of the network of charging stations, an essential condition to ensure the growth of the electric car.
Half of the electric vehicles sold in Canada are already sold in Quebec and Minister Charette's Plan for a Green Economy will have an enhanced envelope totaling $ 6.7 billion over five years. Let’s hope that our province will continue to put forward its goal of reducing GHGs and stand out as the first Canadian province with its quota of electric vehicles and its objective set for 2035.
Source : La presse
Photo : David Boily, Archives La Presse